New AC Delco PF48E & PF48 Cut

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DirtyMoe21

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These were the other filters that GM4LIFE sent me to open up. Right off the bat there is a difference in OAL. PF48 is on the right in all side by side pictures. And once again thank GM4LIFE for supplying these filters for cutting. Enjoy the pictures! Both OAL's were checked with gasket in place. PF48E--->3.170 PF48---->3.450 OD's were same on both. Construction wise both were identical as the larger PF63E & PF63 I cut open earlier this week. Nicely constructed just like the others. And after opening them up as you'll see in the pictures below the filter media on both filters is about the same length. I added the XG3614 I run in my 4runner just fore size comparison purposes only.
 
While the PF48E will most likely do an adequate job of filtering in a shorter 3K-5K OCI, I would feel better running the non-ecore filters (PF48, PF63) for a little longer if I had to. I don't know if I would run any filter for longer than 5K whether it be the Amsoil or Fram Ultra filter in my car as hard as I drive it and as hot as the engine runs. Mobil 1 5W30 and a synthetic media (Amsoil) filter every 5K miles at the most for me. I know it's a waste of time and money, but I would prefer to have fresh clean oil and a new high end filter as much as possible. It can never hurt.
 
Originally Posted By: bubbatime
Those pf48s look pretty good. I can use them on my Chrysler and just might once I run out of my other filters.
It was very hard for me to find regular PF48s and PF63s. All GM dealers are out of them and no stores have them anymore. The E series filters now replaces them. If the PF48 fits your car, get the bigger PF63 filters. They have the same high quality built internals, but are just double the size for more filtering media. My car calls for the PF48 filters, but I just got a bunch of the PF63 filters from rockauto.com for cheap! $54.95 shipped for 12 of them! Do yourself a favor and forget the PF48 filters and go for the bigger PF63 oil filter. Same threading, same internals, but your car will benefit from about double the filtering media. Here is what I scored from rockauto.com:
 
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Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
If the PF48 fits your car, get the bigger PF63 filters. They have the same high quality built internals, but are just double the size for more filtering media.
On a well maintained, non-sludged up engine, the extra filtering media of the taller filter offers no real benefit or advantage, in my view. I'll just run the shorter filter and save the $2.
 
I can find the classics at farm and fleet, advance auto and even found one at Wally World. The e cores are not a new thing. By the way there is absolutely nothing wrong with PF 48s, take your tinfoil hat off.
 
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AC Delco said the new ecore filters offer better performance. After seeing them side by side, I don't know what they are talking about. The classic design seems better. My next oil change will be the PF63 or equivalent sized filter like Amsoil or Fram Ultra. The PF48 is just way too small for my engine and GM said the PF63 can be used in place of the PF48 for more filtering media. Internals are identical.
 
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E cores have been out for years guy. You can still buy classics all over the place. Yes you can use PF 63 but that doesn't mean it automatically your rig is gonna last longer. PF 48 is just fine.
 
2013 Corvette with the base LS3 engine - the dealer used a PH48E for the last oil change and the caveman turned it on WAY too tight causing a slow leak. Drips on the garage floor made me look after about 2k miles. Replaced it with a NAPA Gold (7090 I think) which is slightly longer than the E filter making it the lowest point under the car now. The owner's manual calls for a PH48, but I think the PH48E is a safer bet on that engine just because it's less likely to be punctured by a rock or a scrape because it is shielded by the cast aluminum crankcase pan. YMMV.
 
Here is a pf48e that was on my wife's car down to 5% on the oil life monitor approximately 7000 miles. The end cap was bent around the leaf spring. You can see on the wider pleats where it was pushing the media back into the cage. There weren't any holes but it didn't look far from it. I will never use one of these or let a dealer put on one again.
 
Just an FYI, the Chevy dealer in my town gets their AcDelco filters from the AAP across the highway. So if you're looking for Classics, hit up AAP and don't bother with the dealer. They just buy what you can and go up on the price. Just saying.
 
Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Here is a pf48e that was on my wife's car down to 5% on the oil life monitor approximately 7000 miles. The end cap was bent around the leaf spring. You can see on the wider pleats where it was pushing the media back into the cage. There weren't any holes but it didn't look far from it. I will never use one of these or let a dealer put on one again.
You need to change the wife's oil more often for a couple OCIs. That's a dirty engine.
 
It's not dirty. It is a used oil filter on an engine that has 35000 miles on it. You can't tell if it is dirty by looking at it.
 
I will definitely never run an e-core AC Delco filter on any of my cars. Could these new e-core filters be the cause of GM's newfound engine issues, especially with the LT4s?
 
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Originally Posted By: jhellwig
Here is a pf48e that was on my wife's car down to 5% on the oil life monitor approximately 7000 miles. The end cap was bent around the leaf spring. You can see on the wider pleats where it was pushing the media back into the cage. There weren't any holes but it didn't look far from it. I will never use one of these or let a dealer put on one again.
Yep, that's one ugly looking ecore. And looks to be the new(er) ecore with the poppet style integral bypass in the background.
Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
Could these new e-core filters be the cause of GM's newfound engine issues, especially with the LT4s?
I've wondered the same. Since failures seem to be showing before first oil change, wondering though if the Ecore is the factory filter?
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
That's a good point. Didn't Car & Driver have two failures or something like that?
At least two Corvette engine failures that 'GM' attributed to oil filter failure. Didn't see any specifics though on which filter construction was used.
 
Yep, now all of BITOG can write C&D's Mailbag and see what kind of confusion we can cause them, peppering them with some of the most arcane questions even they've come across. wink
 
Originally Posted By: GM4LIFE
I will definitely never run an e-core AC Delco filter on any of my cars. Could these new e-core filters be the cause of GM's newfound engine issues, especially with the LT4s?
A. GM has been using ecore filters for years (at least three and maybe more) B. 35k or not, your engine is dirty from the looks of that filter, it is obviously saturated C. the C+D engine failure was initially blamed on the filter and was later found to be a metal shaving of unknown origin buried into a bearing. Just sayin....
 
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